The Opelousas courier., 1887-11-19

S~~ sAAhh SRN&A1 A1H3 6hE
the lawful member, and SIS such he had
placed his name on the roll.
The only evidence. he claims to have of
Adsms, written on the 28th of October last,
TO the effect that to his best recollection he
was not a member, and that as a delegate in
;he Parish Convention Of December. 1883,
ne haa named Spearman to the convention as
the committeeman from his ward, although
Adams written proxy of date Nov. II was
held by J. g. Beasley.
grave question by Gisplacing Adams and
placing on This rolf the name Of Spearman,
and declaring him entitled to a seat, he
brayely gfappled with
ANOTHER RAVE QUESTION.
He announeed to the committee that J. NJ.
Foster claimed to be a lawful member of said
committee, and that although he had not
been able to lind the official proceedings of
the convention showing his election, be did
find q contemporaneous newspaper publica-
ton OF his name as g member, and, there
fore, he decided that he YRs q rightfnl mem
Der o. the committee, and he had so placed
fact that he was increasing the lawfulnumber
OF meIlbers-1lfJeen; III lace of the fact that
never before had Mr.. Foster claimed to be a
member OF the committee: in face Of the fact
member, but never in his own right: in face
Of The. facsnaat no official roll call Of the
committee contained his Names; and further,
IN face OF the fact that the so-cslled conten
l LSt'EEAsIA PuDl1CSGbloLi AN AOb
even pretend to be official; in face Of the
further fact that Mr.. J.. M. Foster was by the
conyention in December, 1888, elected a
in which body he has acted.
Having thus silenced two of the grave
questions that confronted him, be proceeded
to declare vacant the affee of secretary, that
had been filed by the election of Mr.. J. Il.
Gllllland,, and then appointed DR.. D. 7.
WhiGRorth as secretary pro tenn. MIR. Gill;
land was present and ready to still act as
secretary. The only reason given by the
chairman for this last action was that he re-
cSlled thai at some previous meetings of the
committee Mr.. Gilliland was not present, but
was absent from the State, and that the conc
mittee had elected, at each OF such meetings,
8 secretary pro tenn, and without any pre-
tense that the committee had ever taken any
action formally declaring. the place vacant,
he, the chairman, alone did so, and appoint
ed e secretary
TIC SUIT HIS PURPOSES.
And having thus, in his W way, ReA1ed all
the grave questions that confronted the COM
mittee, having thus made strai ght its paths,
he handed to his newly .appeln ted secretary
the roll of members which he had already
prepared, aud ordered the roll called, pro-
nounced a quorum present and the, commit
tee ready for business. On that roll were the
names OF sixteen persons; all present In per
S was or ege ~ b pTo5dy 81 Is bef Raa as + o 0ne m more t tBaR
was authorized by the resolutions Of the co i-
~yention that elected the committee.
III chairman did not delSn to INFORM the
committee from what source he derived his
authority to settle these grave questions. :"
He mad no such authority. He knows he
had non He has admitted that his conduct
was REVOLUTIONARY, as an outrage on the IN
alienable inherent right of the committee to
settle all such questions. His conduct Is
without a parallel in the annals of pariia-
mantary bodies, and the committee right
temptuous disregard of the rights of his
constituency he deserves the most whitening
rebuke.
It was in vain that protests were made.
They were made only to be ignored. IL was
in vain that a motion was made to appoint a
committee on credentials to. report to the
committee as to the rights Of claimants to
seats in the body, Such q motion was
promptly ruled By the chairman to be out of
order, and the mover informed that, the
question of who we're members had peen
were brought to g deadlock, eight members
of the committee opposing the action OF the
chairman apd SSsfusiLg to transact any busl-
ness until the -
GREAT wTpNG DONE By THE CHAIRMAN
was 6urrected. and the seven supporting the
action of the chairman.
Appeals frc1o the rulings Of the chairman
were made onl~ to be Idlsregarded. The
eight members opposing were Capt. William
Robson, DR.. Gus Hendricks, Dan Monroe,
James Noel, James Huckaby, J. III. Alexan-
der, j. II. Gilliland and DR.. T. G. Fond, by
Andrew Currie, proxy; those sustaining the
; fijh nREWoHsb Wsr (. James &. n acS sHsPe' (; NJ Il! 10 3.
: blanchard as proxy. DR.. ". 7. WhitEorth,
@. j. Foster. j. p. SpearInans j. NJ. Foster
and E. II. Randolph eight on each side, the
chslrTnan voting.
OF the eight opposing not one holds a ques.
. toned or disputed seat. Or the eight on the
other eide two hold seats by the decision Of
J the chairman alone. With the hope OF break
7 ing the deadlock q committee Of conference
: on organization was appointed and d recess
, taken until 3 O'Clock p: m.
In this committee Messrs. Noel and Rob
> son proposed to admit Spearman al
the member. for the first ward. If the
: claim Of J. III. Foster as the sixteenth mem
> Der of the committee was withdrawn.
This was done in the interest OF harmony
? This. was refused by the other side, unless
. further agreement was made as to the man:
ner Of selecting delegates. This Noel ant
Robson refused. for the reason thai 1t wa a
. conference, ana for the further reason tina
!, they were unwilling TO transact any business
until the great outrage OF the chairman wa
repaired.
m, the committee of conference reporte!
: no prospect of adjustment Il the deadlocl
= was resumed. When it reassembied at z 2
Q m. Mr.. J. Ell. Giliiland, for himself an
i seven others voting with him, presented
written protest against the action of tn
7 chairman, pronouncing it without authority
Illegal and revolutionary and aay1ng tn e
y they could not recognize the validity or IN
s Executive Committee as organized by tn
revolutionary action of the chairrnane.
y motion was afterward made by .Mr. Currle
which, being seconded, was by him put, 7
y the vote, declaring vacant the chairmanshf
/. of the conmittee and eleetlIlg TO that plac
2 Capt. Robson. Mr.. Gilliland was In the sam
manner elected secretary, both motions IT
= ceiying the votes OF
" EIGHT UNDIsPUTED MEMBERS,
an undisputed quorum Of the lawful connmi
This quorum then passed q resolution fl
ing the time for the primary election an
: parrish eon ssd Ieft f re r aa1oq In the p posses nc,
for the election Of delegates.
And thus you have thrust upon you du,
elections and dHsl delegations to the Sta1
d. Convention. Both elections cannot pessibl
ID be valid. 1t is possible for both to be II
y valid. or one may be valid and the other no
d Il fifteen y the lawful number OF me con
this, eight constitutes q lawful quorum, con
ve petent to act IN the premises.
ut n Eight members whose seats we're W1fhot
or disprfa, not counting Mr. Beasiey. lholdl!n
Ia Aslanasf proxy, who proposed To rel1nquls
d his claim If Mr.. Foster would withdraw. o.
posed the outrageous conduct and called q
1e election. These elghs cam tnascaEne soa
iii 81 which they constitute q lawful quorum
ID FL, as is commended BY those supporting II
n chairman. the committee is cota2Yoosed Of g
to teen members, II takes nine TO make
RS quorum, and this they have not got, az
le thus any action taken BY them
N rs CLEARLY INVALID.
ae But the salient paramount wrong yhich 7
desire to emphasize is the conduct OF q
q chairman in nsurping the, functions, OF u
g committee undermining the disputed meI
e bership. and dispiacing the secretary 81
naming another in his stead. He had ]
more right in the premises than any 9th
2. member. His conduct in this is right
q named by himself IS evolutionary.
Until fhis wrong was righted, we ref1s'
se 10 fransact any business. We now sntsm
IS our conduct in the premises to YOU, We &.
an You al freernen to go to the polls on Z
90 day~ APPOINTED by MS and cast your votes !
delegates to b parish convention;
WILLIAM RoBsoNs
g, HENDEICKS,
= p AT ~ ~